"A person who has broader intelligence, whether he is full of material desire, without any material desire, or desiring liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead." (S.B. 2.3.10)

The above verse from the Srimad-Bhagavatam is the first one that I memorized in Sanskrit. It has been a source of spiritual inspiration and motivation for me ever since.

When I joined ISKCON, I had nothing. By Krsna's grace and Prabhupada's kindness, all my desires and needs have been fulfilled simply by making a small and feeble effort to worship the Lord.

"By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own duty, attain perfection." (B.G. 18.46)

In the purport to the above verse from the Bhagavad-gita, Srila Prabhupada explains the following:

"Everyone should think that he is engaged in a particular type of occupation by Hrsikesa, the master of the senses. And, by the result of the work in which one is engaged, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, should be worshiped. If one thinks always in this way, he becomes fully aware of everything. That is the perfection of life."

In the late sixties and early seventies, there was a big movement amongst young people towards getting back to the land or nature. Many were convinced that communes were the wave of the future. Growing up in those years influenced me in that direction as well. But how could a lone teenager without friends or money start or even find something workable? After much searching, it seemed impossible, so I gave up on the idea. But after joining and serving the movement for only a year in the Vancouver temple, I was elated to one day be asked to relocate to the Hare Krsna farm in Bridesville, B.C. It was a dream come true. Everything was there -- community, friends, nature, cows, bulls, service and Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan. I couldn't have imagined anything better in my wildest dreams.

Whether it was living and working on a farm, traveling the world or writing and publishing, everything that I have desired has been fulfilled in Krsna's service. Such desires would have been very difficult to achieve separately, but in Krsna's service, they were attained almost effortlessly. Although my so-called service to Krsna has been full of faults and mistakes, Krsna has been so kind. He is known as the "benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities" (suhrdam sarva-bhutanam). By serving Him, the root of existence is served, and all living entities become happy in their constitutional position. Despite being woefully unqualified in every respect, the Lord has shown great mercy to this insignificant soul -- causeless mercy, in fact. To this day, that first verse which I learned so long ago, is still my favorite.